2013

January

Board of Regents Finalizes Consolidations, Appoints Presidents

It’s official: the University System of Georgia has 31 institutions – four fewer than one year ago.

The Board of Regents approved the four institutions created over the past year from the consolidation of eight and appointed presidents to provide leadership.

After adopting four separate resolutions authorizing the new consolidated institutions, the regents appointed Dr. Riccardo Azziz president of Georgia Regents University, Dr. John Black as interim president of Middle Georgia State College, Dr. Virginia Carson as president of South Georgia State College and Dr. Bonita Jacobs as president of the University of North Georgia.

Chancellor Hank Huckaby noted that in response to the regents’ approval, celebrations on the campuses would inaugurate the new institutions as faculty, staff and students begin a new chapter in the University System’s history.

Planning Begins on Transfer of State Archives to University System

A nine-member working group began the planning work needed to ultimately transfer control and operation of the Georgia State Archives from the Georgia Secretary of State to the Board of Regents. The transfer requires passage of legislation that Governor Nathan Deal will propose in the 2013 session of the General Assembly.

The group’s purpose is to identify and research the immediate issues related to the transfer and bring these before University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby. The group will focus on the transition issues; long-term planning will be addressed if the transfer is completed.

Finalist Named for UGA presidency

Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith and University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby have announced the name of the finalist for the University of Georgia presidency, Jere Morehead.

Morehead is currently the senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost at UGA. He previously served as UGA’s vice president for Instruction, vice provost for Academic Affairs, director of the Honors Program, and acting executive director of Legal Affairs.

February

University System Chancellor Says Focus Must Be On Students

In his annual address on the state of the University System of Georgia, Chancellor Hank Huckaby turned the occasion into comments about the “State of the Student.”

Measuring the state of the student is a more precise means of determining the state of the University System, Huckaby said. By this measure, “The University System is on the right path to drive access, ensure progress and increase success for our students,” he said.

Huckaby outlined for the Board of Regents how the system is changing and must continue to change to meet the evolving needs of students in a new era of tight resources.

“We must prepare our students to find their way in a new world,” Huckaby said. “We help them best by providing the access they need, by removing barriers and providing them with education of value that equips them to compete and contribute.”

While thanking Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly for their continued, strong support of public higher education during tough economic times, Huckaby also acknowledged the responsibility of the University System to think and act differently to achieve its mission of creating a more highly educated Georgia.

Huckaby said that the “new normal” requires that those leading the University System and its 31 institutions must “explore different alternatives to the ones followed since we were created in 1932.” He said, “We are not going to be successful simply waiting for change. We must and we are driving some fundamental changes to our structure and to how we deliver higher education.”

Morehead Named President of the University of Georgia

Jere Morehead, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost at the University of Georgia, was named as the 22nd president of UGA by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Jere Morehead will assume the UGA presidency from Dr. Michael Adams, who will retire on June 30 2013, after serving as president since 1997 and will assume his new post on July 1, 2013, according to Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith.

March

Stas Preczewski Named Interim President of Georgia Gwinnett College

Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced the appointment of Dr. Stas Preczewski, currently vice president for academic and student affairs at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), to serve as interim president at the Gwinnett institution effective July 1, 2013.

Regents Vote to Increase Oversight of College Athletic Programs

Athletics will receive closer scrutiny by the Board of Regents under a new policy adopted by the University System of Georgia’s governing body. The new Policy 4.5 addresses the establishment of intercollegiate athletics, the expansion of sports, changes in intercollegiate athletic competition levels and the funding of these programs on all 31 campuses. Under this new policy, the Board of Regents must give its approval in these broad areas of athletics before an institution can move forward.

Daniel Kaufman to Leave Presidency of Georgia Gwinnett College

Georgia Gwinnett College President Daniel J. Kaufman has been named as the new president of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. Kaufman, who has been president of GGC since the institution’s founding in 2005, will step down from this role on June 30, 2013.

Mark Lytle to Lead University System Economic Development Efforts

Hank Huckaby, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, has named Mark F. Lytle as the USG’s new vice chancellor for economic development. Prior to his appointment, Lytle served as the division director for the Georgia Centers of Innovation, a statewide strategic industry business support program run by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Marrero Named President of University of West Georgia

Dr. Kyle Marrero, vice president for University Advancement at the University of West Florida, Pensacola, was named as the seventh president of the University of West Georgia by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Marrero will assume his new post on July 1, 2013, according to Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith.

April

Tuition Up Just 2.5 Percent on Most University System Campuses

Regents Hold Tuition Increase at Same Level for Second Consecutive Year

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents held the line on tuition increases, keeping the percentage increase at the same level as it approved last year. The Regents approved a tuition increase of just 2.5 percent for in-state, undergraduate students at 27 University System of Georgia colleges and universities.

Aloia Named President of the College of Coastal Georgia

Dr. Gregory F. Aloia, president of Concord University in Athens, West Virginia, was named as the fifth president of the College of Coastal Georgia by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

$66 Million Gift to MCG Foundation

The Medical College of Georgia Foundation is the recipient of a $66 million gift from the estate and foundation of the late Dr. J. Harold Harrison. The gift from the estate and private foundation of the MCG alumnus and foundation board member is the largest in the history of the university and one of the largest ever received by a public university in Georgia.

May

USG Part of National Partnership to Explore MOOC-based Learning and Collaboration

The fast-developing world of massive open online courses (MOOC’s) has a new framework with the announcement of a partnership among ten state university systems and public universities – including the University System of Georgia – and one of the leading platforms for MOOC’s, Coursera. Joining the USG in this partnership will be the State University of New York (SUNY), the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee Systems, University of Colorado System, University of Houston System, University of Kentucky, University of Nebraska, University of New Mexico, and West Virginia University.

June

State Archives Join University System

Georgia’s Archives will have a new home as of July 1, with the official transfer of the agency from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office to the Board of Regents.

Board of Regents Names Ivelaw Griffith President of Fort Valley State University

Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, provost and senior vice president at York College of the City University of New York, has been named as the ninth president of Fort Valley State University by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Board’s vote was unanimous. Griffith will assume his new post on July 22, 2013.

July

Economic Impact of University System Reaches $14.1 Billion

The combined economic impact of the University System of Georgia’s 31 institutions on their host communities reached $14.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2012, a 7.4 percent increase from fiscal year 2011 to 2012.

The annual study of the University System of Georgia’s economic impact found that in FY 2012 Georgia’s public university system generated nearly 139,263 full- and part-time jobs, or 3.6 percent of all the jobs in Georgia. The bottom line is that one job out of every 28 in the State of Georgia is due to the University System. Read the full study here.

August

Regents Adopt Bold Strategic Plan

The cornerstone of the new plan, which has the subtitle “A Public Agenda,” is Governor Nathan Deal’s and the System’s Complete College Georgia initiative, which has a goal of increasing by 2020 the percentage of Georgians completing college from 42 to 60 percent.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia adopted a bold Strategic Plan for the System that acknowledges a new environment for public higher education and positions the state’s 31 public colleges and universities to meet changing needs and new expectations.

As stated in the plan, “public higher education has changed dramatically in the last ten years. Concerns about affordability are greater than ever, and pressures on quality continue to increase.” The document notes that while some have questioned the value of a college degree, data continue to show future jobs will require higher levels of education.

The plan notes that other large industrial nations are threatening the United State’s “long-held leadership position in higher education and number of college graduates.” As a result, the plan calls for actions that help raise educational attainment levels of Georgians in order to ensure the state can compete in a global economy.

Regents Policy Aligns Colleges and Universities Missions with System Goals

As part of its effort to reshape the University System of Georgia to better serve students and the needs of the state, the Board of Regents approved a new “Institutional Function and Mission Policy” that will have a significant and long-term effect on the types of programs and services offered by all 31 public colleges and universities in Georgia.

Under the new policy, the regents will look at four areas in determining both the mission and sector of the 31 institutions. These are:

The institution’s current academic programs of study

Access and admissions selectivity

Geographic area of responsibility and

Emphasis on research, teaching and service

September

Regents Budget Request Has Focus on Students

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia adopted a $1.93 billion 2015 fiscal year budget request, along with a separate $235.2 million request for needed facilities.

The request, which now goes to the Governor’s Office, is a net increase of just $48.9 million, or 2.6 percent, over the FY2014 state appropriation to the regents. It will support the board’s new strategic plan and its focus on helping more students complete college.

USG Begins Next-Generation MOOC Initiative

As technology continues to reshape the higher education landscape, the University System of Georgia has been very active as an early adopter.

This year the System of 31 public colleges and universities entered into partnerships with two companies to explore the potential to better serve students through massive open online courses (MOOCs).

The latest partnership to be announced is with Desire2Learn (D2L) Incorporated, a company that provides Cloud-based learning solutions and provides an open and extensible platform to more than 750 clients and more than 10 million learners in higher education, K-12, healthcare, government and the corporate sector.

Earlier this year, the USG announced a partnership with another national organization that is developing MOOCs – Coursera. As part of this partnership, the USG joined nine other state university systems and public universities to explore the potential of MOOCs in meeting ambitious college completion goals and providing new pathways to degrees for students.

October

Middle Georgia State College Presidential Finalist Selected

Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith and University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced the name of the finalist for the Middle Georgia State College presidency: Dr. Christopher Blake.

Blake has served since 2006 as president of Mount Mercy University, a four-year, co-educational Catholic liberal arts university located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He currently is on sabbatical for the 2013-14 academic year.

Kimberly Ballard-Washington to Serve as Albany State University Interim President

University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckabynamed Kimberly Ballard-Washington to serve as interim president at Albany State University. Ballard-Washington is assistant vice chancellor for Legal Affairs for the USG and assistant secretary to the Board of Regents.

Ballard-Washington will assume the interim presidency on Nov. 1, following the departure of current president Everette J. Freeman, who has been named as the new president of the Community College of Denver in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Paul Jones Appointed Interim President at Darton State College

Dr. Paul Jones, currently the senior vice president for Finance and Administration and a professor of Educational Administration at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, was named as the interim president of Darton State College in Albany. Jones takes over the presidency from Dr. Peter J. Sireno, who stepped down as president on October 18.

November

Regents Approve Kennesaw State, Southern Polytechnic Consolidation

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted today to consolidate Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University.

This action will be implemented over the next year, with final board approval of the new institution coming in January 2015, following the approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools at its December 2014 meeting.

Board of Regents Chair and Vice-chair Named

Wilheit Named Chair and Pruitt Named Vice Chair of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

The Board of Regents, the 18-member governing body for the University System of Georgia, elected Regent Philip A. Wilheit Sr., to a one-year term as the Board’s Chair. Wilheit currently serves as vice-chair. Regent Neil L. Pruitt, Jr., was elected to a serve a one-year term as the Board’s Vice Chair.

Blake Named President of Middle Georgia State College

Dr. Christopher Blake, most recently president of Mount Mercy University, has been named as the second president of Middle Georgia State College by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Blake will assume his new post on January 1, 2014.

University System Enrolls 309,469 Students for Fall Semester

Fall 2013 enrollment in the University System of Georgia’s 31 colleges and universities totaled 309,469 students, a decline of 1.6 percent (or 4,896 fewer students) over fall 2012. The “full-time equivalent enrollment,” a statistical measure of students taking a full load of courses, was 274,499 students, a decline of 1.4 percent, or 3,877 students from fall 2012.

The enrollment numbers were released in the System’s “Fall 2013 Semester Enrollment Report,” which breaks down enrollment by institution, class (freshman, sophomore, etc.), race and ethnicity, in-state, out-of-state and foreign students, as well as gender and age.

Dr. Art Dunning Named Albany State University Interim President

University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckaby has named Dr. Arthur N. Dunning as interim president at Albany State University.

Dunning recently completed three years of service as vice chancellor for International Programs and Outreach for the University of Alabama System in Tuscaloosa. He is currently a professor and senior research fellow in the University’s Education Policy Center, where he serves on state and national boards and has teaching duties in the higher education program.

He will begin his new assignment on December 2, taking over from Kimberly Ballard-Washington, who served temporarily as interim president since November 1, following the departure of former president Everette J. Freeman.